FINEST HOUR - Winston Churchill

"CRs" are Churchill-related stamps which are not Churchillcommemoratives; Finest Hour has been publishing articlesusing them as illustrations since issue #6.IN SEARCH OF AC-R TOPIC:We were surprised by a queryfrom a reader who asks that we suggesta topic for a C-R story: surprisedonly because in our readingwe find hundreds without trying.However, it is a sincere question,and we have a couple of suggestionsthat may be useful.For a major job, one that willkeep you up to your ears in the projectthrough many a long night, weshare a longstanding ambition ofour own: illustrating My AfricanJourney with stamps. Mounts. Kilamanjaroand Kenya, several lakes,hordes of animals (some of whichWSC shot), natives, villages, rivers,waterfalls, and crops were all mentionedin the book and can be foundon stamps. There are opportunitiesfor research as well: Was the bridgeat Khartoum in place when he gotthere? How about the statue of Gordon?There are map stamps to showChurchill's route and, altogether,Are Uganda Scott #79-82 (Stangib 95-98) and Kenya-Uganda-Tanganyka(K.U.T.) Scott #102 (Stangib 167) CRs? Certainly: not surprisingly, WSCmade prophetic observations in My African Journey. Of Ripon Falls he wrote,"It would be perfectly easy to harness the whole river and let the Nile beginits long and beneficent journey to the sea by leaping through a turbine."Owens Falls Dam cost £22 million and took six years to build, but when HMThe Queen attended its opening in 1954, she wired WSC her congratulations.this should make a colorful and interestingcollection.For a short job, here is one thatoccurred while reading RandolphChurchill's Twenty-One Years(Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1965).On page 47 Randolph begins a fewparagraphs about a holiday he tookwith WSC and Jack. Stamps showingGenoa, Naples, Pompeii, Malta,polo, Warspite, Piraeus, theParthenon, WSC painting, CorinthCanal, Brindisi; and in Rome, theColosseum, Forum, St. Peters, PopePius XI and Mussolini, would do thejob nicely.Are all these stamps extant? Iwould not be the one to spoil yourfun...-Dalton Newfield, Finest Hour #27Chairman Boler atUK1995AGM from page 22Dennis Jackson has produced asplendid ICS VE-Day commemorativetie, which is available for purchase.Again, we expect to generatesignificant revenue from thisventure, to add to our growingfunds for charitable work. Mythanks to Dennis for a job welldone.I cannot conclude my report toyou without thanking all thosewho have helped ICS in the pastyear, and particularly those whohave helped me in my first year asChairman. To Nicholas Soames,our Chairman of Trustees who hasgiven generously of his very valuabletime bearing in mind his arduousministerial responsibilities.To Lady Soames for her wisewords of advice and encouragement,to Celia Sandys for alwaysbeing there to help, and for her encouragementand support in allthat we do. Celia kindly hosted aluncheon prior to our VE-Day dinner,which was attended by guestsfrom around the world.To all the other Trustees whohave contributed in ways greatand small to the cause, my thanks:to past chairman David Porter forhis valuable words of advice; toWylma Wayne for sustaining mein my "black dog" days and for thephenomenal energy she devotes tothe Society; to Joan Harris, oursecretary, who puts up with meand who works above and beyondthe call of duty; to Mark Weber forall his help in many ways; to PilPilgrim for strong financial adviceand Angie for her work at committeemeetings; to Dennis Johnsonwhom I have already acknowledged;and to David Jones and JillKay for their expertise on theCommittee. I reserve a specialword of thanks for Jill who carriedthe burden of membership secretaryfor many years, and whoseknowledge of the membership isencyclopaedic. I know Jill stillgives valuable help and guidanceto Joan Harris. I also offer mygrateful thanks to my wife Diane,who unfortunately cannot be herethis evening but without her supportI could not do this job. I thankand salute you all. But most of allI thank you, the Friends of ICS foryour support. £FINEST HOUR 88 / 46